title: Tracheostomy in the management of laryngotracheobronchitis. Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital experience, 1980-1985.
abstract: In the 6-year period 1980-1985 162 children required tracheostomy during treatment of laryngotracheobronchitis at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town. This represents 4.6% of 3,500 children with this disorder and 28% of those requiring airway intervention. Fifty-eight percent of the children were decannulated within 4 weeks and 75% within 10 weeks. Fifty-four per cent of the children required one or more further procedures before decannulation, including 7 children who required a laryngotracheoplasty. Obstructing stomal granulation tissue had to be removed from 24 children and suprastomal collapse was a cause of decannulation failure in 29 children. Use of an expiratory valve as an aid to decannulation is discussed. Three children died of tracheostomy airway complications and 6 of a medical disorder. Another complication, laryngeal incompetence, was particularly associated with herpetic laryngeal ulceration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vanlierde
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000601:surgery; D002404:Catheterization; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003440:Croup / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000601:surgery; D014139:Tracheostomy